Ed Burns reflects on empty nest life with Christy Turlington

Ed Burns believes his ‘two-week reign’ with Christy Turlington is the key behind their lasting marriage.

The actor and filmmaker has been busy bringing “The Household McMullen,” the sequel to his 1995 hit “The Brothers McMullen,” to life. Nonetheless, the 57-year-old informed Fox Information Digital that regardless of how hectic life will get, he and his supermodel husband vowed early on to by no means let greater than two weeks move with out being collectively.

Burns and Turlington, who tied the knot in 2003, share two youngsters: 22-year-old Grace McKenna and 19-year-old Finn.

ED BURNS’ ADVICE ON SURVIVING THE ‘BITTERSweet’ TRANSITION TO BECOMING AN EMPTY NESTER

Ed Burns and Christy Turlington married in June 2003. They’re now empty nesters after elevating daughter Grace McKenna Burns and son Finn Burns. (Taylor Hill/Getty Pictures)

“My spouse and I had an settlement very early on as a result of our respective jobs require a little bit of journey,” Burns stated. “We had a two-week rule the place neither of us could possibly be away for greater than two weeks at a time. And sometimes we had to have a look at our schedules and generally say no to a selected job that required journey which may require us to be away for an prolonged time period.”

“Now that we’re empty nesters, we do not have to stick to that in the identical approach,” he stated. “However we nonetheless attempt to not do jobs that may preserve us aside for too lengthy.”

Ed Burns and Christy Turlington promised early of their marriage that they might by no means spend greater than two weeks aside – a promise they’ve faithfully stored. Even now, as empty nesters, they nonetheless attempt to keep on with that rule. (Randy Brooke/WireImage/Getty Pictures)

“The McMullen Household” chronicles the love, humor and challenges that preserve a household collectively in a Brooklyn setting. For Burns, essentially the most highly effective lesson about partnership – the one which tells its tales – is surprisingly easy at its core.

WATCH: ED BURNS REVEALS ‘BROTHERS MCMULLEN’ SEQUEL AFTER 30 YEARS

‘It’s kind of of a cliché reply, I feel, however I feel so [having] open traces of communication [is key]he stated. “Whether or not it is between husband and spouse, mother and father and their youngsters, or siblings – these are all issues we discover in ‘The Household McMullen.’ And retaining a humorousness even when issues get robust with the household.”

Burns’ first movie adopted his character, Barry, and his brothers as they navigated life after their father’s loss of life. “The Household McMullen” tells the story of Barry’s grownup youngsters as they transfer again dwelling.

“The Brothers McMullen” stars Jack Mulcahy, Maxine Bahns, Ed Burns and Mike McGlone. (© twentieth Century Fox Movie Corp./Everett)

“I wasn’t drawing from my very own life and youngsters, and I by no means actually try this with my work,” Burns defined. “If there’s any parallel between Barry McMullen and me on this film, it is that Barry is form of the butt of the youngsters’ jokes. That is most likely true of my home, too. That stated, if my children wish to transfer again dwelling in just a few years, I am positive Christy and I’d each welcome them with open arms.”

“The Household McMullen,” a sequel to “The Brothers McMullen,” is now obtainable for streaming. (HBO max)

However make no mistake: empty nests have been “nice” for the star. He sees it as a chance to dive into new tasks whereas staying linked to his household.

“Whereas we definitely miss the youngsters, it has been a really productive time for me,” he defined.

“I am writing extra now than I ever have. I wrote a novel final yr that is popping out in paperback on December fifteenth. I simply submitted the second novel I wrote to the writer. We’ve got one other undertaking that we’ll hopefully do within the spring. So I am retaining my time full of the empty nest.”

Christy Turlington and Ed Burns attend the thirty sixth Annual Palm Springs Worldwide Movie Awards on the Palm Springs Conference Middle on January 3, 2025 in Palm Springs, California. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Pictures for Palm Springs Worldwide Movie Society)

Through the holidays, Burns stated he feels particularly grateful. He credit the late Robert Redford – who died on September 16 on the age of 89 – with giving him a career-defining alternative 30 years in the past.

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American actor, director and producer Robert Redford on the set of his movie “Quiz Present”, primarily based on the e book by Richard N. Goodwin. (Sundown Boulevard/Corbis through Getty Pictures)

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“I had completed taking pictures ‘The Brothers McMullen,’” he recalled. “I had a tough lower on VHS, however we had been rejected by each movie pageant and distributor. I could not get an agent or a supervisor. I believed the movie was useless. On the time, I used to be working as a manufacturing assistant on ‘Leisure Tonight’ and we interviewed Redford in regards to the movie he was directing, ‘Quiz Present’. I made a decision this was my final likelihood.”

After the interview, Burns stated he adopted Redford to the elevator and gave him a 30-second pitch. Redford grabbed the tape. Two months later, Burns obtained a name: “The Brothers McMullen” had been accepted into the Sundance Movie Pageant. The movie subsequently gained the Grand Jury Prize.

“The Brothers McMullen” was made for simply $25,000 — and a VHS copy, given to Robert Redford, landed it at Sundance. (Eric Robert/Sygma through Getty Pictures)

“Not solely did I meet Redford after the screening and thank him for bringing the tape and serving to me are available in, however he was additionally type sufficient to let me introduce my mom,” Burns stated. “He spoke to her for ten minutes and informed her what a gifted son she had. My mom was over the moon – Redford was her favorite.”

Ed Burns, writer-director of the 1995 indie hit “The Brothers McMullen,” is proven exterior his childhood dwelling on Marlboro Street in Valley Stream, New York, on November 21, 2025. (John Paraskevas/Newsday RM through Getty Pictures)

The movie additionally sparked a decades-long friendship with Connie Britton, who performed Molly McMullen – her first taking part in position.

“The primary reminiscence I’ve of Connie is when she auditioned for me in my father’s workplace in 1993,” Burns stated. “We had auditioned numerous actresses for that position, and nobody was proper. I began pondering, ‘Possibly the scenes are simply horrible.’ ‘Possibly I simply do not know tips on how to write for this character, for this girl.'”

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Connie Britton on the premiere of “The Brothers McMullen” in New York Metropolis. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Assortment through Getty Pictures)

“Connie got here to the audition and simply crushed it,” he stated. “We stated, ‘Thanks very a lot.’ She left the workplace and I sat there. I am like, ‘Wait a minute. What am I doing? She’s Molly.’ I ran out of the workplace and chased her down the road. She had her baggage along with her as a result of she was going to Grand Central. I bumped into her on Third Avenue and stated, ‘I would like you to make the film. You could have the position.” We have been quick mates ever since.”

Connie Britton and Ed Burns have labored collectively on a number of movies since assembly on the audition for ‘The Brothers McMullen’. (Jason Kempin/Getty Pictures)

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Even after thirty years, Burns insists he has no real interest in dabbling in large studios and blockbusters as a filmmaker.

“I feel the rationale I preserve telling these little character-driven tales is as a result of as a child in movie college, these have been the movies that first excited me as a younger artist making an attempt to determine what sort of movies I wished to make and how much tales I wished to inform,” he stated.

Like the unique, ‘The Household McMullen’ is rooted in Ed Burns’ real-life Irish-American upbringing in New York – a theme he has explored all through his profession. (HBO max)

“Fortunately I grew up in New York. I reside in New York Metropolis, I nonetheless take the subway each day. And once you’re on the practice, I sit there and take heed to folks’s conversations. I watch the best way folks work together with one another. You simply let your creativeness run wild within the metropolis.”

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In “The Household McMullen”, Barry (Ed Burns) is thrilled that everybody resides underneath one roof once more. (HBO max)

“As soon as once more a cliché, however the metropolis continues to encourage,” he added.

When requested what he hopes audiences will take away from his newest movie, Burns replied, “That there’s a lot consolation in household.”

“I feel finally it is a movie that reminds you that having a household that you just’re nonetheless near is an actual blessing and that you just should not take it with no consideration.”

“The Household McMullen” is streaming on HBO Max.